Donald Trump loses Supreme Court battle to block wind farms in view of his luxury Scottish golf resort

Republican presidential candidate had argued that the wind farm would spoil the view from his Balmedie golf resort

"We will evaluate the court's decision and continue to fight this proposal on every possible front"

Donald Trump has lost his battle to block an offshore wind farm project near his luxury Scottish golf resort.

The Republican presidential candidate had appealed a Scottish Government decision to build 11 wind turbines off the Aberdeenshire coast in 2013 but Mr Trump fought the decision all the way to the Supreme Court argued that the wind farm would spoil the view from the Menie Estate golf resort.

He argued that Scottish ministers had “no power” under existing legislation to approve the wind farms.

But his case was dismissed unanimously by Supreme Court justices.

The Supreme Court had assessed his case at a hearing in October in London after the American tycoon had lost two fights in Scottish courts.

It is the latest blow to Mr Trump's business interests in Scotland after he was stripped of his ambassadorial role by Nicola Sturgeon following his controversial comments calling for all Muslims to be banned from entering the United States.

Mr Trump was a member of GlobalScot – a network of business leaders, entrepreneurs and executives with a connection to Scotland – since being invited to in 2006. The organisation was set up by Scottish Enterprise in 2001.

Responding to the Supreme Court verdict, a spokesman for Mr Trump said: Trump Organisation said: "This is an extremely unfortunate verdict for the residents of Aberdeen and anyone who cares about Scotland's economic future. The (wind farm development) will completely destroy the bucolic Aberdeen Bay and cast a terrible shadow upon the future of tourism for the area.

"History will judge those involved unfavourably and the outcome demonstrates the foolish, small-minded and parochial mentality which dominates the current Scottish Government's dangerous experiment with wind energy."

He added: "We will evaluate the court's decision and continue to fight this proposal on every possible front."

His Aberdeenshire golf resort, which he bought in 2006, is one of two famous golf resorts Mr Trump owns in Scotland.

In 2014 he purchased the Open Championship venue at Turnberry in Ayrshire.

After his controversial comments about Muslims, the discount website Itison.com was one of several companies that broke its links with Mr Trump's business empire and cancelled sales of spa days at his Turnberry resort.

Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said the Supreme Court decision was important for the future of renewable energies in Scotland.

"I am pleased that the Supreme Court has unanimously found in our favour," he said.

"The proposed European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre is an important project for Aberdeen and north-east Scotland.

"It will give the industry the ability to test and demonstrate new technologies to enable costs to be further reduced.

"Aberdeen is already of global importance for hydrocarbons and this wind deployment centre cements its role in renewable offshore development, further positioning Aberdeen as the energy capital of Europe and a world energy centre."